Burns Out Bright
by emptyonideas
Summary: Romanian Longhorns? No problem. Oblivious redheads? Another story. Charlie/OC *Permanent Hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

_Sorry this story was in my head and I really needed to write it. The Charlie thing was partly inspired by cheapxperfume's wonderful story. :)_

* * *

Whenever I told people that I was going to be working with dragons, I always seemed to elicit the same response: **Why?**

Well, let me tell you why. I've crafted a nice list of my top reasons for working with those "fire breathing monsters" that my mother so affectionately named. (I sort of have a penchant for list making. You know, pro and con lists, top reasons lists, hit lists, erm, grocery lists…but let's get on to this one.)

**1. We go way back. **

"_Once upon a time, there was a princess locked away in the tallest of towers. She was told to await for the day when a dashing prince would slay the dragon that guarded the castle and save her from her misery. Her-" _

"_Mom?" I asked. _

"_Yes dear?" she said, looking up from the page. _

"_This is a stupid story," I declared. _

"_Don't say 'stupid'. And this was one of your sister's favorite stories when she was younger!" she protested, looking at me oddly. _

"_Well I don't like it at all," I argued. _

"_Well, what's wrong with it?" she asked. _

"_Why are girls always waiting for boys to save them?" I questioned with a frown. _

"_Well-" _

"_And why would someone lock her up there in the first place?" I interrupted. _

"_It's just-" _

"_And how did she survive? Did someone bring her food? Or did she have some sort of a garden?" I cut in again. _

"_I doubt it-" _

"_That's not even the worst part, though!" I added. _

_My mother sighed in impatience, taking a deep breath before looking at me. _

"_So what is the worst part?" she asked tiredly. _

"_Why did they have to kill the dragon?"_

Seriously, either I was a delusional child or it was clearly love at first read. I could never quite put my finger on which choice though.

**2. The only class I could stay awake for, and mean it.**

I was a good student in school, sure. Part of that was my immense ability to fake everybody out that I was actually listening to something. You can only hear about goblin wars and the proper way to flick your wand for so long without wanting to rip your ears off.

And then came Magical Creatures class.

Dragons have M.O.M classification XXXXX, according to _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_.

My mother always said most girls would be frightened by that, but five X's? Who the hell doesn't think that's cool?

And then there was this first line: _Probably the most famous of all magical beasts, dragons are among the most difficult to hide. _

That always puts a picture in my head of a dragon trying to hide behind a tree or something. Seriously, you're about to introduce a huge fire breather and you're talking about hiding them. I think it's amazing.

**3. They saved me from Sherri.**

I liked my distance from people I didn't like. I was always nice, and I had a close group of friends, but there were those people I'd rather not deal with. Namely, this one group of gaggling girls who talked nonstop about other people and/or their boyfriends and/or their newest victims.

Well, I made the mistake of becoming their friends in my first year of school. And Sherri Donahue doesn't really accept that someone would ever want to leave her circle.

So, I didn't stop talking about Romanian Longhorns for a straight week. Dark green scales, golden horns. Their numbers have grown so low that they've become part of a breeding program to keep them from going extinct.

I talked and talked and talked. She complained. I talked more, using every bit of knowledge I had to completely make her completely annoyed and distance herself from me. And then I was free. Free as a freaking bird.

Another interesting fact? The Romanian Longhorn always gores it's prey before roasting it. Kind of similar to Sherri Donahue.

**4. They led me to Ditto and James.**

Our school had this Muggle equivalent of a career day once. (My mom is a muggle, so I tend to make references that most of my friends don't understand) So, they brought in a bunch of things, from healers to professors, and one of them happened to be a man who worked with dragons.

Naturally, I wanted a closer look. So, naturally, I broke the rules.

_I crept behind the bushes that lined the Quidditch pitch, where they were keeping the dragon. We were far in upstate New York, so nobody was really around to see, but they wanted extra security past the enchantments that guarded the area. I took special care to step lightly and stay low, keeping my eyes forward and focused. _

_My jacket wasn't really doing a well enough job in keeping me warm, but I tried to keep my teeth to a low chatter as I moved closer to the huge fenced area. _

_The dragon was a Swedish Short-Snout. I could see silver-blue of it's scales creeping out from behind the tent that lie before it. I knew that they probably took this dragon in particular because they tended not to attack humans. As much as other dragons, at least. _

_I smiled at the mere sight of it. If you were ever to find a dragon beautiful, it would be this one- the moon shining gave it a glow that made it seem to tower even more. I knew that it would be amazing to see the blue flames it breathed, but at the same time, I didn't want it to get angry enough to actually breath fire at me. _

_I took a few more tentative steps forward, but froze immediately as I started to hear low voices. _

"_Will you shut up for once in your life?" a male voice echoed. _

"_Will you stop arguing with me for once in your life?" I heard a frustrated girl question. _

"_Only if you get the stick out of your butt." _

"_Oh shove it, I'm risking suspension because you want to see a freaking dragon!" she said harshly. _

"_Well we wouldn't have to worry about being suspended if you kept your voice down!" _

_I furrowed my brow and tried to figure out where the voices were coming from. They sounded like students, but no one that I'd ever met before… _

"_Sh, did you hear that?" _

"_Well, now you just sound paranoid Ditto." _

_Ditto? Who the hell was that? I took a step backward, and toward the voices, and made a huge crunching sound as I accidentally stepped right into a branch. I froze again, and looked up to suddenly see two figures looming above me. _

"_Who are you?" the boy asked roughly, looking down at me with fierce eyes. _

_I must have looked odd, because the girl, Ditto as I presumed, hit the boy in the shoulder. _

"_Don't scare her, idiot," she scolded, then turned back to me. "I'm Ruby, he calls me Ditto, though. And his name is James," she introduced, outstretching a hand. _

"_Bailey," I said, shaking her hand. _

"_So what are you doing here?" James asked, nicer this time as he softened his tone. _

"_Trying to sneak a peak at the dragons?" _

"_Oh god," Ruby said with a eye roll. _

_I was about to question her before James smiled widely and began talking animatedly about all the uses he hoped to find for the horns on a Welsh Green, almost too fast to comprehend. As soon as he took a breath, I found out that he and Ditto were a year younger than I was, and had been best friends for five years. _

_And since that day, the pair became a trio._

**5. Ridiculously Cool Sounding.**

Now, I'm not one to care about labels, but when someone asks you what you do and you say you work with dragons, you either immediately sound tough, cool, or crazy. The last one probably isn't a compliment, but I've been called it so many times before that it's sort of become a twisted one, in my mind at least.

**6. I love it.**

I can be immature sometimes, or you know, most of the time. But I'm mature enough to notice that I want to do something I love for the rest of my life. I don't care if it's ridiculously dangerous or may not exactly be practical to most people.

The feeling you get just from standing in front of such a powerful creature, knowing that it barely knows the damage it can do to you, is exhilarating. Knowing that your job is to stay alert and focused, keep your attention and actually work with what most people think is untamed, is a new thrill everyday.

There aren't many places to hide a dragon, it really is true. So when I got a job in Romania, I knew I had to take it. It was the opportunity I had been waiting for. It was the life I had been anticipating, and it was finally about to start.

So, thirteen years after a memorable bed time story, I stood on the station platform with two bags in my hands and a wildly beating heart. Two more minutes in the city that I had grown up in, made friends in, lived in for my whole life. And as soon as I climbed that first step, it would all be changing.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own no HP things.

Sorry for taking so long. :( And P.S. I really didn't know what was intended with Romania and dragons, so I'm kind of making it up. :)

* * *

After the train, a short walk, and an empty fishbowl turned portkey, I was finally here. I looked around at the landscape. It was...green, for lack of a better description. Hills rolled in either direction, but when you were in sight of the castle, what surrounded it didn't really catch your eye.

It was huge. In the you can probably fit at least twelve of my houses inside of it type of way. I stood in its shadow with my suitcases and black cloak tight around me, and smiled as I heard a distant roar. It might be big, and this whole change might be scary, but I was ready. I knew this was what I was meant to do.

I pushed the heavy doors open and waited until they thudded closed behind me before turning to look at what I'd just walked into. Directly in front of me were stairs, carpeted in red and going up seemingly endlessly. To my right, I saw a hallway and heard slightly faraway voices. To the left, I saw a passage to a room that was marked with a huge banner emblazed with a red dragon.

I smiled, but realized that I didn't really know where to go. In my letter, it said to look for...Mr...something. Oh crap, what did it say? Addler? Adams? Or did it start with a d? I was here five seconds and I was already forgetting things. Great first omen, Bailey. Was it Allegra? No, that's allergy medicine. What the hell was his name?

"Bailey Jones?"

My mind rant ended as I heard my name being called. I looked up to see a slightly older man with bright eyes shuffling toward me, a green cloak billowing about him.

"Yes," I said, surprised he knew who I was.

"I've been expecting you! I'm Mr. Bain, pleasure to meet you," he said, extending a hand enthusiastically.

I smiled and shook it, affronted by his cheerfulness, but glad for it. Bain. That wasn't hard to forget, yet I'd managed to do it. Well, at least he was kind and introduced himself. It certainly made it easy to adjust when people were welcoming.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions, so let's walk and talk. Let me take one of those," he said, grabbing one of my suitcases as he turned around and gestured for me to follow.

I did so, walking up the stairs behind him, looking at the walls as we went. There were pictures of waving people with robes on, holding up vials and some with dirt on their faces. There were some of dragons, roaring and breathing fire, or just sleeping and flying. I looked at all of them with interest until we reached the first floor and Mr. Bain made a left turn.

He talked fast. Really fast. I hung on every word for a few seconds before I realized it was pointless, and I instead tried to get the gist of things. Here's what I got so far.

I'd be assigned a more experienced researcher while I was here, who would be my "mentor", per se.

Meals were at 8, 12, and 6 in the hall on the first floor. (I took considerable care to remember that one.)

There were essentially three things done here- observation, research, and actual dragon care. Observation was usually done from the various decks off the castle, where you see the dragons in their natural habitat. Research was done in the labs, testing the uses for dragon blood among other things. Dragon care covered a lot, but one of the main things was a breeding program.

Lastly, newcomers weren't allowed to partake in dragon care until they completed six months of training.

After that last tidbit, I was disheartened. I wanted to work with dragons right away, not watch them from afar. So, with somewhat lessened curiosity, I followed Mr. Bain until he stopped moving at the end of the hallway.

"This is your room. I'll let you get settled, and since it's almost 12 you can head down to lunch when you're finished. The dining hall is to the left where you first came in."

I nodded, hoping my brain wouldn't explode from the pile of information I'd just received, and already had begun to forget.

"Alright. Thank you very much," I said warmly, and he smiled, handing me a key.

"There's not much use to lock your room, as I'm sure no one here would steal your things. But we respect if you want privacy," he added as he placed it in my palm.

I nodded and inserted the key, turning the knob and stumbling into the room.

"Your mentor was told to find you in the dining hall," Mr. Bain added, "And now I must get to a meeting! They won't be happy if I'm late again!"

I didn't get a chance to say another word because he had disappeared in a flash of green fabric. I smiled slightly and turned around to get a look at my new room.

There was a bed, obviously, pushed against one wall. A window overlooked some of the green hills I was swallowed in earlier, and there was a book shelf and desk on the opposite wall. It wasn't too large, but it would suit me just fine. I dropped my suitcases, opting to unpack later. My room at home was always pretty messy, so I relished in being in one this clean for the time being.

I had barely just sat down on my bed before I heard a tapping and looked around for a moment before realizing there was an owl at my window.

I tilted my head in question and got up. As I got closer, I realized it was Ditto's owl Grey. I unhatched the window and let him in, unraveling the letter from his leg. I dug around in my pockets, finding a granola bar in my pocket. He didn't love it, but pecked it from my hand as I unrolled the letter.

_So you're there! _**Hopefully with all limbs in tact! We know you have a penchant for getting lost and**_ James just loves to intrude on the letters I'm trying to send you. We actually wrote this a few days before you even left so you'd get it right when you got there. _**How's the land of the Romans? **_Romans live in Rome, stupid. But moving on, we know you're going to be great there. We just hope that you don't get caught up in new friends and dragons and forget about us! _**Which you'll never do. Especially since I'm going to be joining you there next year. Have you seen any dragons yet?! **_We wanted to wish you good luck on your first day. Let us know how you are, even if it's a short letter back with Grey. We love you! -Ditto _**and your favorite, James! **

I laughed at the change from Ditto's precise letters to James huge scrawl. I loved my friends to no end, even when they were being stupid, and knew that I would miss them when I was here.

I picked up one of my suitcases and dug through it, looking for a quill. I found one in one of the pockets and took out some ink before sitting down at the desk.

_I miss you guys already! I did make it here with all limbs, and I only got lost once. And it was only for a few seconds, so it barely counted. It's amazing here already, you have to come and visit as soon as I settle in. No dragons yet, unfortunately. Apparently you can't work with them for at least six months. We'll see what I can do about that. I have to go to lunch now, to meet my "mentor". Good luck to me. Hope you guys are doing well, even without your best friend! Have a great last year at school. –Bailey_

I attached the letter to Grey and watched him fly off into the greenery. I bit my lip and turned around, grabbing my key off the desk. I left the room, tracing the path I'd just taken but reversed it.

So, this was it. I was **here**. I'd been looking forward to being here practically my whole life, and now I was walking through a castle in Romania, with dragons miles away from me.

If anyone saw me right now, they'd probably think I was crazy, smiling to myself and hopping down the stairs.

I smiled as I reached the bottom, making a right to the dining hall. I was pretty hungry if I thought about it, I hadn't eaten since breakfast early this morning. I walked down the hall, hearing the voices grow louder as I got closer. There was another left to make, and I rounded the corner before I was suddenly hit...hard.

I didn't get a chance to even assess what happened before my hands flew to clutch my face, an abrupt stinging felt from impact. I'd smacked my nose on whatever I hit, causing blood to start pouring out but I willed my eyes to stop tearing as I tried to see what had happened. I didn't have to wonder for a long before I heard someone speaking.

"I am _so_ sorry!"

The person who spoke was definitely a man with some sort of accent. I blinked repeatedly and tried to move my nose, but the effort made a fresh stab of pain erupt and I decided not to try that again, especially since blood was staining my fingers. I kept my hands on my face but managed to open my eyes and see my attacker.

He had bright red hair and looked at me with complete guilt as I tried to remember how to speak.

"Are you alright? It's bleeding a lot. Do you think it's broken?" he asked, seemingly unfazed at my lack of speech capability.

"Erm," I muttered, testing it again. The pain that was apparent already intensified again and I shook my head 'yes.'

"Oh bullocks," he cursed, hitting himself in the forehead. "I'm sorry. Here, let's go to get a healer."

He grabbed my elbow lightly but went at a fast pace as he led me back down the hall and toward the opposite side of the entrance, past the dragon banner, and down another hallway. My nose throbbed the whole way, but I tried to focus instead on my steps and not think about the pain.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before," he commented.

Blood was now flowing past my lips and down my chin, and I really hated that I looked this unattractive in front of someone cute and concerned. But he did smack me after all, so it was honestly his fault I looked like I'd just gotten into a bar fight.

"First day," I muttered, a stab of pain tearing through my nose as I whimpered slightly.

"Great, I maul you on your first day," he said, shaking his head, "Some great first impression, huh?"

I laughed, which sounded more like a choke because I tasted blood and cringed and he smacked his head.

"Sorry. Please stop talking, and don't mind me. Here, it's right in here."

I followed him through the door, sufficiently embarrassed as he called over a healer. I sat down on one of the cots lining the wall, some with curtains closed, but others open and empty. He sat in a chair at my bedside, looking awkward but worried as a healer took away my hand.

I saw him grimace as he assessed my face and I tried to avert my eyes, not wanting to see his reaction.

"Let's fix the break, then we'll clean the blood," the healer announced.

____________________-

I wasn't sure if I was flattered or mortified that he had stayed the whole time, but as soon as the healer decided I was good as new, he was by my side in a flash.

"Let me take you back to the dining hall. It's the least I could do," he said, smiling slightly at me.

"You don't have to," I said, shaking my head. I felt suddenly shy, and didn't like it at all.

"It's not a problem."

I nodded and we walked the way we'd just came, not quite as worse for wear.

"You look a lot better without blood all over your face," he commented with a grin.

"Most people do," I said with a chuckle, feeling myself blush. Why the hell was I blushing? How old was I?

"I'm Charlie, by the way," he said, outstretching his hand.

"Bailey," I introduced, shaking it.

"From?"

"America. You?"

"England," he responded.

I smiled, placing the accent with the place. At least we were having a conversation now, not just him talking and me groaning.

"So do you have a mentor yet?" Charlie asked, looking at me curiously.

"No, I was going to meet him now," I said.

The walk wasn't long, so we were already taking the left I'd made when I had smacked into Charlie.

"Hey, how come you didn't get hurt?" I asked, looking at him oddly.

"Hard head. I was looking down, so my skull bashed into your nose," he said, tapping his head to make his point.

I chuckled and nodded, and noticed we'd reached the dining hall, which had its doors open. There were about twenty tables inside, all host to various groups of people talking and studying and eating. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but followed Charlie who'd decided to take the lead. We were heading toward what looked like a table of food when I was suddenly stopped by an angry looking man.

"Bailey Jones?"

I looked up at him, shrinking from his hostile glare as Charlie noticed my absence and backtracked toward me.

"Yes. You are?"

"Dale Johnson," Charlie said, clapping him on the back.

I noticed Dale tense up and glare at Charlie before turning back to me.

"You were supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

I frowned at his tone, as if he was so much more important than I was. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than me.

"I'm afraid that's my fault, Dale. We had a rather unfortunate...collision."

Dale pursed his lips together and looked back and forth between us. I nodded slightly, as if to confirm the story, and Dale nodded back as if to reluctantly accept it.

"Fine. But I'm supposed to show you around, and I don't have a lot of spare time today. So eat quickly and we'll be on our way."

I nodded and rolled my eyes as soon as he turned away, and Charlie smiled at me.

"Dale and I trained together. He's not very..."

"Sociable?" I ventured.

"I was going to say laid back, but that works too," he laughed. "Sorry you had to get paired with him. But he does know what he's doing," he told me.

"Well that's good, at least," I said.

Charlie led me over to the food table, handing me a plate.

"If you ever need help though, and you don't want to ask Dale, you can ask me. It's the least I can do for breaking your nose," he said with an apologetic smile.

I grabbed a roll and caught a look at Dale from the corner of my eye, who was tapping his foot at me impatiently. I bit my lip and turned back to Charlie.

"I might just take you up on that."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks sooo much to everybody who has reviewed. Sorry it's been a while, but here we go! :)

* * *

"Right now, everybody's main focus is the breeding program. Since the horns of the Romanian Longhorn were in such high demand, their numbers have grown dangerously low," Dale told me as we walked up the stairs.

I nodded, obviously aware of that fact after taking the courses I had to come here.

"Your training will consist of observation, classes, and assessment."

"_More_ school?" I asked, trying not to sound too whiny.

"You can never learn too much."

"They're dragons. Throw a person with one and I'm sure you'd learn much more than with a book," I declared.

"Are you possibly implying that putting people in such high risk situations in which a very plausible end is death is a good idea?"

"Certainly more exciting," I mumbled.

"Classes are held every day at four," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. "They're basically an extension of the ones you took during the Summer, with farther dragon instruction and a bit of experimentation. Assessment is usually just to make sure you've retained the information, seeing how you won't be getting actual grades for the class."

"So I'm not allowed to work with dragons for sixth months? Any exceptions to that rule?" I asked, looking at Dale hopefully.

"No," he replied flatly.

I smiled a little, already knowing what our relationship would be like.

"Are this strict with everyone? Even your friends?"

"I don't have to be strict with my friends."

"Are you saying we're not friends?" I asked in mock sadness, letting my mouth drop.

"You're going to be one of those insufferable students aren't you?"

"Of course not. I'm just eager," I declared.

"Well we can't change the rules for you. Six months won't be as long as you'd think," he said, suddenly stopping in the middle of the hall.

I had barely registered my surroundings until we stopped, but now I took in the deep red carpet, and large wooden door that we now stood in front of. Dale twisted open the gold doorknob and walked inside, gesturing for me to follow. We walked through a cold room with stone walls and a few red chairs, but that was it. We seemed to be headed for the outside, so I hugged my cloak to myself and watched as we approached a set of glass doors. Dale slid those aside too, and let me go out first this time.

I stepped out, breathing in the fresh cold air for a moment before taking a few steps outward. We were on a balcony now, that stretched at least fifty feet in either direction and had chairs covering it. There were also binocular-looking devices and discarded notebooks lying about. I saw two people on the far end looking over the edge of the balcony, so with a few steps, I inched forward and looked down.

There was a dragon in the hills beyond the ridge, but I could barely make it out.

"Take a pair," Dale said, handing me binoculars.

I took them and looked through, pointing in the direction of the Longhorn.

I almost gasped in surprise. The binoculars must have been enchanted because it was suddenly as if I was five feet away from the dragon, the green scales clearly defined. I moved toward the head and watched it move around, its glittering horn giving it such great distinction.

I moved the image a little and noticed that if you turned the knobs, you could zoom in and out. I went back and saw a set of huts, with a glittering silver fence enclosing, probably charmed to protect from the dragon. People were inside, and I concluded they must be running the breeding program. I saw one of them with red hair and squinted, unable to make out the face. But it was probably Charlie.

Even though Dale couldn't see me staring, I felt suddenly self-conscious, and went back to the view of the Longhorn who was now seemingly angry at something and erupted in a huge roar. I shivered a little from the sound, and watched as sparks danced around his nose.

I pulled away for a moment, looking at Dale with wide eyes.

"Exciting enough for you?" he asked smugly.

I rolled my eyes, and turned my attention back.

It _was_ going to be a long six months.

* * *

I walked toward the dining hall again, keeping a watchful eye out for any more potential nose-breakers, and thankfully seeing none. It was almost 6 o'clock now. I just had my first class, and now two of my six classmates were walking beside me. They seemed to already know each other, so I mostly listened and laughed along with their conversation.

I was kind of horrible with names, as witnessed with Mr. Bain, but I managed to remember theirs—Richard and Pam.

I made the mistake of asking when our next class was, and since then, they've been going back and forth.

"Class is at five tomorrow," Pam had started.

"And then Bailey and I will be have dinner after," Richard told me with a wink.

I had laughed along, because as I could tell, this was just a part of his personality. Pam seemed to think otherwise.

"Don't be an idiot Richard," Pam said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't always assume the worst."

"We've been here three days and from my association to you, nobody will speak to me," she said.

"That's a lie. If anything it has been one person, and she was completely stuck up anyway. Now I know you are, but you don't need more friends like that."

"Bailey, is he bothering you? I can make him leave."

"If you ever met my friends, you'd know how very used to it I was," I said with a laugh.

"See Pam? I need someone to do something with me who's actually fun," he claimed.

"Just because I don't want to sneak out at night doesn't mean I'm not fun—I just follow rules," Pam argued.

"So who's hungry?" I cut in, before a fresh wave of retorts could break out.

"Me, thank you so much for asking," a voice suddenly said from beside me.

I jumped in surprise to see Charlie next to me, a bit of dirt on his face but his smile wide.

"How was your first day?" he asked, and I watched as Richard winked and Pam rolled her eyes and pulled him toward the food and away from us.

"Interesting…I'm annoyed by classes, Dale is annoyed by me, and my classmates are annoyed by each other, but nothing too traumatic."

"Well that's good. And don't worry about Dale…you'll warm up to him."

I snorted in disbelief and couldn't quell the nerves that were now rushing to the surface. I was now walking with Charlie toward the food, and we settled our place in line beside each other.

"So want to sit with me? I had no one to sit next to my first day and it was awful," he said.

I loved the way that he made such a seemingly nice thing so nonchalant, so I nodded in appreciation.

"My self-esteem thanks you," I said with a smile.

He chuckled and nodded.

"Great. Let's just get food and I'll lead the way."

* * *

I collapsed into bed that night, tired from just thinking about everything I've done today—traveled here, got a tour, broke my nose, met my mentor, observed dragons, had class, had dinner, and finally crawled up the stairs.

Charlie had been nothing but nice at dinner. I got to know his personality a little better—he liked to listen to his friends, but didn't mind arguing with them if he thought he was right about something. He joked around a lot, seemed passionate about dragons and Quidditch, and from what I understand, had a knack for helping people. I attributed the last one to his attempts to never let me feel left out.

Overall, it wasn't what I thought my first day would be like, and I did itch for my home a little, but I could see myself getting used to it. I turned over and pulled the covers up, feeling my eyelids drooping.

I heard a sudden muffled roar in the distance and couldn't fight the small smile on my face.

I could definitely get used to it.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been ages, I know. Sorry bout that. :)

* * *

I just finished my classes and was heading down to dinner. Pam was strolling beside me while Richard tried to chat up a girl named Emily who was in our class. She didn't appear to be warming up to him though, so I saw him move on to her friend Hannah who at least giggled appreciatively.

"It's hard for him to find dates here," Pam snorted, rolling her eyes. "He usually likes the dainty, girly girls."

"Dainty and dragons don't exactly mix," I chuckled.

"No, but it's an advantage for us. Lots of men," Pam said, winking at me.

"Certainly a lot," I said, looking around at the dining hall we just entered. There were probably about four guys to a girl here.

I suddenly spotted Dale's blonde head, about to sit down with his tray of food. We had gotten assessed today, and he told me to let him know how it went. Plus, I liked pushing his buttons. It really worked up an appetite.

"Have you got your eye on anyone in particular?" I vaguely heard Pam ask, but I was already walking toward Dale so I just waved good-bye.

"Dale," I sang, looking at him. "You look particularly dashing today."

"It's been a week, Bailey, and I'm quite ready to trade you in for a new student," Dale said, sighing and putting his fork down.

"I just wanted to tell you that I aced my first exam today," I said. "I owe it all to your masterful teaching."

"I'm glad," Dale said flatly.

"You being good to her, Dale?"

I looked up quickly at Charlie who was standing with his own tray. My stomach flared uncomfortably as I realized a girl was waiting beside him, but I tried not to focus on it. Instead, I looked at his huge smile and the fact that he was being nice on my account.

"I was just telling him I did well on my exam, and I think I should be rewarded with some actual dragon care," I said, nudging Dale.

Dale turned to me with his stern eyes.

"You know the rules, Bailey. I'm starting to wonder if you're deaf or if you have very selective hearing," he said, rolling his eyes again.

"The second one, definitely," I said, grinning widely.

Charlie laughed, but the stupid whore, I mean, girl, next to him gave him an urgent look so he turned to us quickly.

"Well we should sit before our food gets cold. Good luck breaking Dale, Bailey," Charlie said, winking at me.

I smiled to the best of my ability as he walked toward his table of friends.

"Who's that girl?" I asked Dale, trying to seem as un-obvious as possible.

"Amanda Hughes," Dale answered, like he was reading from a book. "In our class, mentor to Pamela Clark."

I made a mental note to ask Pam about her later.

"Is she dating Charlie?" I said, making my voice go up a register so it seemed more curious than jealous.

"I don't know. Are you going to get food?" Dale asked, looking at me over his glasses.

"Yeah, I guess I should," I said, getting up slowly. "But don't worry, I'll be right back and then I can tell you all about my day," I said, clapping him on the back.

"I can hardly wait," he said glumly.

* * *

I was getting ready for bed when I heard a knock at my door. My mind quickly raced with possibilities of who it could be—Pam wanting to talk, Richard wanting to flirt, Dale wanting to criticize…but then I realized opening the door would be the only way to find out.

Charlie stood in the doorway. I quickly pushed aside some of my junk so he couldn't see it, and hoped like hell my hair wasn't a dirty rat's nest at this point.

"Hey Charlie," I greeted, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on a mission, Bailey," he said seriously.

"What is it?" I asked, moving to let him in and hoping I didn't have anything embarrassing lying around.

He sat down on my bed, picking up the pieces of paper I had there. Unfortunately, it was a pro and con list for not being able to work with dragons for six months. The only pro was 'waiting so long will make the moment seem worth it.' The other paper was a list of things I wanted to remember.

Charlie gave me an amused look as he moved aside the lists and turned to face me. His hair was a little messed up, but all he fixed was his sweater with a huge 'C' emblazoned on it. I almost forgot _Amanda Hughes_ for a second, and hoped against my better instincts that nothing was going on there.

"I will ask you a series of questions that will prove you are trustworthy," he said, patting a seat beside him.

I sat down, crossing my legs, and gulping down the small feeling of nervousness. What was this exactly, some sort of initiation? I've heard of muggle sororities but I highly doubted there was any in the dragon world.

"Okay?" I said, wondering where this was going.

"What color are the uniforms of the Chudley Cannons?"

"Um, orange?" I said, thinking of watching Quidditch games with James every week at school.

"Correct. How many X's are dragons classified with?"

"Easy, five," I said, smiling.

"What's your favorite kind of dragon?"

"Antipodean Opaleye."

"How many brothers and sisters and do you have?"

"Why is that relevant?" I asked with a frown.

"Answer the question, miss," Charlie said, tapping his chin impatiently.

"Alright, geez," I said. "One brother, one sister."

"How many days have you been here?"

"Eight," I said.

"Do you like to make lists?" he asked.

"Um, yes," I mumbled.

"How many have you made so far?"

"Four," I said, blushing slightly.

"Alright, I've made my decision."

I looked at him curiously, watching him rise to his feet and extend his hand. When I just stared at it for a moment he smiled at me, making my heart momentarily beat faster.

"Well are you coming or not?"

"Coming where?" I said.

"Outside," he said.

Thinking it over, he probably could've said 'going to sift through dragon dung' and I would've gone with him. But I didn't think he'd do that anyway, so I grabbed his hand and he hoisted me up with another wide grin.

I waited for him to say something as we crossed my room, but he only held the door open for me. I stepped onto the red carpet and waited for him to close the door and lead the way. He waved a hand and I started to follow him down the hallway, making sure not to stumble and trip in the torch lit halls.

When we reached the staircase, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"What's outside?" I asked softly.

Charlie paused for a second, looking in all directions. When he decided the coast was clear, he grabbed my arm and pulled me down the stairs quickly.

"It's a dragon reservation," Charlie said, eyes glinting. "What do you think is outside?"


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry the updates on this are so sporadic. But I finally have a direction, so that will be fixed starting now!

* * *

There were floating lamps on the path outside, probably to guide people back from the reservation at night. Or to warn them of potential dragons up ahead, because that would be a nasty shock if you were taking a nightly stroll and got burnt to a crisp. I stuck close to Charlie who was motioning me forward quickly, every so often casting a look backward toward the castle.

"Afraid of getting caught?" I asked lowly, grinning at him. He seemed upbeat and all for adventure, but there was a little nervousness in his eyes.

"I was a Prefect at school, so I'm still a little anxious about breaking the rules," he shrugged, smiling.

"I'm all for following rules, but when dragons are involved, I just can't seem to stay away," I said with another grin, thinking of the first time I met Ditto and James.

"Me too," Charlie nodded, "And I couldn't resist. Dale reminds me so much of my brother Percy. I thought it'd be nice to do this for your sake so you don't think everyone around here is uptight."

"You have a brother?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, Percy," Charlie said, nodding. "And Bill. And Fred, and George, and Ron. And a sister, Ginny."

"Holy crap," I commented, thinking of a large group of people who somewhat resembled Charlie crammed into a house. I was slightly envious though, because I'd always wanted a big family.

"Yeah, I get that reaction sometimes," he replied.

We were nearing the end of the path now, the forest ominously darker over here. I could see the glint of silver in moonlight and knew we were getting closer to the fence that surrounded the dragon area. A row of huts, brown and low-ceilinged, lined the perimeter. None of the lights were on in them.

"They lock up, of course, but I have a key," Charlie said, promptly shoving a hand in his pocket and retracting something golden.

I could feel my nerves buzzing with excitement as we drew closer. Until this moment, I hadn't really comprehended that I would actually be right here, right next to a dragon. So what if the moonlight was my only guide and I could get caught and punished? This was a dragon for god sakes, a huge fire breathing, magnificent creature and I was going to be feet away!

"Now be careful. The one that sticks close, I call her Bessie, is probably sleeping by now. But she's a firecracker, and if she senses us, she might give us a hard time," Charlie warned.

"Noted," I said, patting my wand in my pocket for reassurance.

"Okay," he said, nodding and turning. He grasped a huge padlock among a group of chains that encircled the gate. I held my breath as he inserted the key and turned it to the right. The click sent my brain fizzling again, the churning of my stomach intensified as I took a step forward.

"Ready?" Charlie asked, his white smile glittering in the moonlight.

"Ready."

Her scales looked black in the darkness, but I knew if we shed a little light on her they were deep green. She moved slightly in her sleep and I caught a flash of her glittering horn, even more radiant up close. Her nostrils flared with each breath, her vast stomach emptying and filling with air. It was hard to believe that this huge creature could awaken in a moment and send a burst of fire shooting straight at us. She looked far too regal now to do such a thing, but I had seen a fair share of burns in my day, and didn't take the chance of stepping closer or even speaking.

Charlie seemed to agree with me and stayed where he was, looking over to see my reaction. I'm sure it was a mix of awe and appreciation, because he smiled widely before going back to looking himself.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" he asked in a whisper.

I could only nod, entranced at her deep breaths.

"Worth it?" Charlie asked.

"So worth it," I breathed, shaking my head in amazement.

We watched for a few more silent moments, the only sounds being our breathing and Bessie's. The ground even pulsed a little with her movements.

"Oh bullocks," Charlie suddenly said, turning around.

"What?" I asked, looking behind us.

"I think the castle door just opened," Charlie said, squinting.

"Well let's hurry then!" I said in a frenzied whisper.

We dashed back to the gate, careful not to be too loud, as Charlie fumbled around for the key in his pocket. He quickly locked the chains and grabbed my hand, running back down the path we had just come on. I ignored the fluttering sensations that would simply not quit and kept my eyes peeled.

Sure enough, someone was walking toward us.

It was Dale Johnson. And he might not be as scary as a dragon, but he was sure spitting fire.

* * *

"What do we do?" I asked, turning to Charlie with worry.

He seemed to be deliberating for a moment, his mouth gaping, as we slowed our pace and crept inevitably toward Dale. We pretended we did not see him coming, and kept our eyes on each other as we struggled to think of something.

"Don't think I'm creepy or anything. This will save us. Okay?" Charlie asked me, looking sincerely worried.

"Okay," I agreed, even though I didn't know what he was about to do.

My curiosity vanished the moment his head swooped down toward mine. My curiosity and every sane thought that is. My mind swirled in confusion and then comprehension, and then turned to mush. Any sort of doubt that I liked Charlie was completely washed away as I probably enjoyed our staged kiss much more than intended. What was there not to like about Charlie's soft lips on mine, or the way he smelled like grass and shampoo, or the way his hands were warm and firmly placed on my waist?

"What are you two doing?"

The voice was shrill, demanding, and judgmental all at once. Unmistakably Dale's.

We broke apart (reluctantly on my part) and I hoped that the torch light was not illuminating my sure to be very, very reddened face.

"Taking a walk," Charlie answered lightly, trying to look bashful. "Sorry to alarm you."

"Alarm me?" Dale asked, "I was looking out the window and saw you two sneaking out. And since Bailey is hell bent on seeing dragons, I put two and two together."

I frowned. I'd grown to like Dale, or rather tolerate him, in the past week, and I had forgotten that while he was borderline psychotic, he was not a fool.

"Did you _see_ us go near the dragons?" Charlie asked, filling his voice with disdain and mocking.

I watched Dale's stern pointed gaze falter for a moment. My stomach leaped a little as Charlie shifted beside me, and I had to remind myself to stop thinking like a love struck idiot.

"Well, no, but I deduced—"

"Listen, Dale. I know you're just trying to do the right thing. But we were just talking a walk," I interrupted, trying to keep my voice in a calm, easy register.

Dale frowned so heavily I thought his mouth was going to sink in upon itself. He looked between Charlie and I a few times, his frustration evident, but his mind finding no way out of it.

"Fine," he finally said, spitting out the word forcefully. "But if I see you two out at night again, I won't be so believing!"

I internally sighed. Bullet successfully dodged.

We all turned back to the castle, glooming fiercely in the night. Most of the windows were illuminated in a pale yellow, and I imagined one of the dark ones was my room, waiting for me to collapse into bed.

"Close one, eh?" Charlie whispered, his hot breath tickling my ear.

I shifted away, knowing that any closer and I might have to kiss him again...not good.

"Too close," I said, shaking my head.

* * *

I stirred my syrup around with my fork absentmindedly, eyes focused on my plate rather than the room. If I had been looking around the hall, I would have seen a distinctly tired but happy red head walking toward my table.

"Good sleep Bailey?" Charlie asked, his features screaming amusement as I looked up at him.

"Nothing like dragons and crazed mentors to tire you out," I commented, trying to act as normal as possible, because Charlie was clearly not affected by our acting.

He chuckled and nodded, before leaning slightly closer.

"Look, if you could just...not mention the acting part to anyone, that would be fantastic. Amanda would tear me to pieces," he said lowly, shuddering.

Amanda. Amanda Hughes. I didn't even know her and already her name was ringing angrily through my head. How could I have forgotten about her on our stupid little trip last night?

"Of course not," I promised, forcing myself not to sound deflated.

"Right then," he said, nodding and turning carefree once more. "We're going to get along, Bailey Jones."

He grinned widely, and coupled with his red tousled hair and sparkling eyes, I almost melted on top of my pancakes.

"I think so, Mr…," I trailed off.

"Weasley," he finished, smiling again.

"Weasley," I repeated.

"I forgot what it was like to break rules," he laughed, leaning farther back so he could walk to his table.

"Look at you Prefect," I said with a smile, shaking my head.

"Sh," he said, putting a finger to his lips. "Our secret."

I nodded once as he smiled again before turning to meet his friends. Okay, so the past few days of his constant niceness was just because he was...nice. Where was the fun in that?

"Why do you look so upset?"

I looked up at Pam, her straw hair collected in a bun as she frowned in worry. I'd come to expect that look on her face, but with her dry sense of humor, we got along pretty well regardless.

"Just remembered I have to do my assignment before class," I lied, not wanting to divulge into the story. Pam was my only girl friend here, but I didn't want to spill my guts in the dining hall. And if my prediction was correct, Richard would be following at any moment, with a sarcastic quip or two.

"Oh, well you have time," Pam said, picking up her drink and plopping her straw in before taking a sip. "Why didn't you do it last night?"

I looked at her for a moment, trying to mask my features as well as I could.

"I was a little distracted."


	6. Chapter 6

It's sad that I'm getting ideas for this story and no one really likes it. :(

* * *

So here was the plan, and it was the best I had, and it was **going** to work: ignore feelings for Charlie.

I had started out trying to ignore Charlie altogether, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. So I was just trying to see less of him, and convince myself that a couple of weeks wasn't enough to like somebody, and it was time to move on to someone available.

I scaled the stairs, looking for Pam or Richard, when another voice called my name.

"Hey Jones! Quidditch this weekend—you in?"

I looked up at one of Charlie's friends, Noah, and blinked a few times. I'd only really talked to two or three of them when I had lunch with Charlie, and for some reason they all referred to me by my last name. I currently couldn't remember his, but was actually quite proud I remembered his first name—probably because he was at least a foot and a half taller than me, and he had burns stretching down his neck. A hazard of the job, I suppose.

"I dunno, I'm still mastering land," I said, frowning slightly. I was alright in a Quidditch game, but I certainly wasn't material for playing with a bunch of rowdy, dragon taming boys.

"Aw c'mon," he prodded, giving me a wide grin, "We need a girl or two. Helps distract the other team," he said, winking.

"Is that all I'm good for?" I asked with a smile, shaking my head.

"Charlie also reckons girls are swifter. Something about all of us being too stocky for our own good...flying like molasses...I dunno, though, that might just be his competitive side talking," Noah said, waving his hand carelessly.

I grinned a bit, knowing that although Charlie was as friendly as could be, when sports were involved, he could get a little...passionate.

"I don't feel any swifter," I teased.

"Well you don't feel it, I'm sure, because you have nothing to compare it to," Noah tried to reason. I liked him because he always tried to make someone feel better. He told me once he got teased a lot as a kid, so he never wanted to make people feel bad without reason.

"I guess I could strap weights on and fly, and then take them off, and see if I feel swifter," I suggested, reaching the bottom of the staircase and hopping to the floor.

"Don't be difficult, Jones," Noah said, grabbing my shoulder before we entered the dining hall. "I'll come get you when we're playing?"

"Alright, fine," I conceded. "But if we lose, I'm hiding behind you," I said, pointing at him accusingly.

He laughed for a moment as we entered the room, the familiar scent of bread and warmth of the kitchens enveloping me.

"Should be easy enough midget." He grinned and patted my head before going to get his food. I noticed Pam giving me a questioning look from the exchange.

I mimed sitting on a broomstick but she continued to look confused. I cupped my hands around an imaginary Quaffle and pretended to score as she continued to shake her head.

"Remind me to never ask you to dance."

I jumped in the air, suddenly realizing I'd attracted a few curious stares. I turned around slowly, wanting to melt away for a moment.

"Shut it Weasley," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"I was just kidding. Great rhythm," he teased, patting my head just like Noah had.

"Let's just go eat," I grumbled, trudging toward the food table. "To think when we first met, I thought you were nice."

His laugh followed me as I walked, and I couldn't help the thought running through my mind.

I was not doing a very good job at ignoring him.

* * *

I sat in class, hearing my teacher drone on about aggressive dragon females, and tried to keep my eyes open. I had resolved to try and do well in class, at least, because there wasn't much else to do as I was training. It wasn't working that well.

Pam nudged my arm and I jolted up a bit, blinking my eyes. She rolled hers, and pushed her notes toward me a little so I could copy them.

I just got out of school, and here I was back again? Not fair.

I yawned and copied down a few things to appease her, and she looked a bit more satisfied as she turned back to the teacher. I knew Pam was a strict rule follower, but the gleam in her eyes was so Dale-like that I almost shuddered.

I looked around at the other boys in class. One was Richard, who was paying as much attention as I was and slumped over in his chair with a glazed look in his eyes. His hands held up his head, which was covered in distinctly messy hair.

Next to him was a boy they simply called Jordan. He didn't seem to high enough status to only have one name, but I never bothered to learn the rest. He was buried in a mess of scars and scratches across his face. Richard had told me he was forced to repeat his classes after a rather irresponsible dragon incident that put him and a lot of people in danger.

At the table in front of me was Roger Hornby. From the front, he looked like he had been horribly confounded. His eyes swirled in confusion under his thick, dark eyebrows that nearly took over his tan skinned face. Surprisingly enough though, he was actually taking notes. Or doodling naked girls in the margins, I couldn't quite tell from here.

Next to him was Ned Doherty. If I was ever between a dragon and him, I think I would be confused which was which. His skin was dark and mangled, his eyes fierce and black, and as far as I could tell, the closest he got to smiling was a muscle twitch.

I couldn't stomach looking at the rest.

So I was pushing away feelings for Charlie... It _should_ be easy, because it was only my third week here. But look at these options. I wasn't exactly going to pal around with Roger Hornby, unless I was horribly drunk or heavily cursed.

It seemed like the more I tried to avoid Charlie, the more he came around. He thought our friendship was bubbling along nicely, and I didn't have the heart to send him away. In fact, after a few dinners, a game of Exploding Snap, and a heavy argument with Ned Doherty in defense of the Chudley Cannons, (I blame James for the association) I think it was harder to stay away.

Did I mention Amanda Hughes was off visiting her family? It probably explained Charlie's increased free time, and as much as I didn't want her there, it made my life a little harder...

"Okay, test on Friday. Have a good day."

I let out a sigh of relief as my teacher, a man in his fifties, turned away from us and waved his wand, erasing the chalkboard. His dull voice was still echoing in my head as I rose from my seat and grabbed my bag, following Pam out the door.

"You two weren't even paying attention," Pam said, addressing Richard and I the moment we entered the hallway.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take my eyes off of Roger," I said, grinning tiredly at her.

"Same," Richard agreed, slinging an arm over my shoulder and smiling delightedly.

"If you weren't my only girl friend, I'd kill you," Pam said accusingly, "And if you weren't family, I would have killed you a long time ago," she said, shaking her head at Richard.

I had learned a few days ago that they were cousins, and had actually lived together for two years. Things suddenly made a lot of sense then.

"You love us," Richard said, removing his arm from my shoulders and putting it around hers. "If it wasn't for us, you'd be such an outcast."

"I would not!" Pam said indignantly, although my mind said otherwise. Most people here were guys who didn't think girls should be here, or guys who Pam thought were too stupid to live. The girls that were here didn't seem to take to her that well either, but then again, none of them were really taking to me.

"Sorry to disrupt the impending fight, but I see Hannah, and I must compliment her lovely outfit today."

I rolled my eyes at him and turned to Pam, who was switching her knapsack to the other shoulder.

"So why were you really distracted?" she asked, the gossip loving side of her kicking in.

"Just tired," I excused.

"Are you sure it's not because of a boy?" she asked knowingly.

"Maybe," I said, shrugging my shoulders. I had never, ever been good at talking about guys, especially with girls. I had only painstakingly mentioned it to Ditto, and because she knew about my gossip affliction, she had kept talk to a minimum, and suggested ignoring Charlie for a while.

"Is it who I think it is?" Pam probed.

I gulped, looking around. Nobody was following us as we descended the staircase, and Richard was already thirty feet ahead and making Hannah blush.

"I suppose," I said, knowing that I was too obvious, and hoping that no one else knew.

"Don't worry about it, I have the perfect plan!" Pam exclaimed, her usually demanding voice now shrill and excited.

"Do you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. Just sit back, and let me do the work. I promise your troubles will be gone this weekend," she said, smiling from ear to ear.

She looked so excited that I didn't have the heart to crush her with the news of Charlie's girlfriend. She could find out the hard way, like I did, and then maybe she'd feel bad enough that she'd leave it alone.

Because really, it was a lost cause. I never really trusted red heads anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm back! Sorry I'm inconsistent with this story. But I'm off for Summer and promise a better future for it!

* * *

"Where's Pam?" I asked as Richard and I left the observation deck. We had to fulfill ten hours each week and we'd just knocked off two. Most of it was spent joking around, yes, but I did manage to write some notes in my journal.

"Probably with her nose in a book," Richard said, closing the door behind him as walked down to lunch.

"Has she always been so driven?" I asked, trying to think of Pam as a child. I could almost imagine her toting books around in the patched black bag she always carried.

"Yes. She got a little worse after her mom died," Richard said sadly, "She came to live with us and I think she was so convinced that we resented it she tried to do well in everything to make up for it."

"And you two both decided you wanted to work with dragons?" I asked curiously.

"My parents are Aurors," Richard said, taking the lead and starting down the stairs. "They wanted me to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, I've never wanted to be one. I had tons of animals growing up—dogs, frogs, lizards—"

"—Dragons?" I cut in with a laugh, following him.

"No," he said, turning around to flick my arm. "But I was always obsessed with them. Pam used to hate it—until one day, out of boredom, she read one of my books on them."

"And fell in love?" I asked, skeptically. Sometimes I laughed when I saw Pam, her auburn head bobbing as she walked next to Jordan, whose scarred neck she didn't even reach.

"Fell in love with the _research_," Richard corrected. "It makes perfect sense. She'll throw herself into any project she believes in, and there are tons of advancements going on right now with dragon horns and claws."

"She is kind of perfect for that sort of thing," I said, thinking of the circles under Pam's eyes because she hadn't slept the night before assessment. She was such a perfectionist that I felt horribly inadequate next to her—even if we scored almost the same marks.

"Yes, but I'm glad she has you," Richard said.

It was odd, really, because I'd never talked to Richard for more than a few minutes without him making a joke, but now his face was entirely sincere.

"Why?" I asked, turning the corner and almost stopping to hear his answer.

"She needs a friend or else she'd be completely insane," Richard said, shaking his head. "She would work all the time. Plus, you two balance each other out."

"Do we?" I asked with a smile, thinking about it.

"Yeah," Richard said, shoving the door open for me. "You give her the humor she needs and she calms you down."

"Who says I need to be calmed?" I asked defensively.

"Bailey, you snuck out to see dragons."

I froze for a moment, wondering how he found out. Did people know? If they did, it could get back to administration. I could picture the look on Mr. Bain's face as he stared at me with disappointment.

"In high school, right? That's what you said," Richard continued, looking at me in question.

"Oh," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. I had told him and Pam the story of how I'd met Ditto and James. "Yes, but what's that got to do with it?"

"My point is, you break rules. You get in fights with people. You joke around. She levels you off so you don't get in trouble."

"This is very astute coming from the boy who's tried to date just about every girl here."

"I'm smarter than I look," Richard said, giving me a wide smile. "And Pam is a pain in my ass, but she's family."

"Heart of gold under your exterior?" I asked, smiling back.

"Don't let anyone know. It would ruin my reputation."

I smiled again and started to pile my plate with the food in front of us. It was nice to have a conversation with Richard that didn't end with him asking me out. It made me think of all the talks I've had with Ditto and James, and my family. My mom was notorious with keeping the peace in our family, and I felt the familiar ease of her presence anytime I felt simply content with my surroundings.

"And just so you know," James said, interrupting my thoughts. "I've settled on Hannah," he said with a smile, looking over to the table next to the food bar to the girl who was almost as tall as he was, with a plain face but bright blue eyes. "She's the most desperate."

The peace was gone, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"Lucky girl," I said, rolling my eyes.

* * *

"The plans for this weekend are coming along well," Pam smiled, walking into my room without knocking.

"Great," I mumbled, looking up from the datapad I was looking at. "Did you read about this Antipodean Opaleye?" She had started attracting attention of muggles in New Zealand after eating almost all their sheep. Some people from the Wales reserve had to modify their memories before a group of fifteen could stun and move the dragon.

"Don't change the subject," Pam said, shaking her head. "Although it was very interesting—I'd love to visit the Wales reserve one day." I laughed as she continued. "But back to Saturday. Everything is perfectly planned to be executed to the last detail," she stated, sitting on my bed and shifting the weight.

I looked up once more, giving her a steady look.

"How romantic."

"Don't be sarcastic about this Bailey," she said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at me. They were a shade of gray that was pretty except when they were honing in on you dangerously.

"I'm a naturally obnoxious person," I said with an easy smile.

"Don't say that!" she said, hitting my arm. I laughed, knowing that Pam was ridiculously loyal, even when I was talking about myself. "You're one of the nicest people here. Did you know Hannah knocked me over this morning and didn't apologize? And Jordan swings his clumsy arms at me in the hall almost every day."

"Do you want me to beat them up?" I asked, putting away the pad.

"No. Richard likes Hannah for some reason."

_She's desperate_I wanted to say, thinking of our earlier conversation with a smile. But I chose not to share that fact, as it would probably send Pam into a rant of how insensitive he could be.

"Who's this?" Pam asked, her eye catching my walls. She traced a finger across my photos that I'd just gotten around to hanging them beside my bed. It was starting to feel more like home now that it was decorated.

"My parents," I said, gesturing to the first photo. It wasn't moving since my mom had used her muggle camera, but it was her and my dad on top of the Eiffel Tower. "Pre-divorce, which is kind of sad to see, but I love the picture of them together. They were happy once, at least."

"Did they re-marry?" she asked, looking back at me.

"Not my mom. She became really peaceful and focused on her work. My dad dates a lot, but he's never gotten married again. My brother and sister hoped for a while that meant they'd get back together, but I don't think it will."

"I didn't know you had siblings," she said, crossing her legs and looking at me in interest.

"My brother is still in high school," I said, smiling as I imagined Danny falling asleep in class. "My sister Kara is a dentist."

"And you work with dragons," Pam pointed out with a smile.

"We can both get bit on the job," I said, returning her grin. "Although mine would be much messier to deal with."

Pam laughed and fixed her already perfect hair as she uncrossed her legs and got up.

"It's almost dinner. Amanda is coming back tonight, so I can finally talk to her about assessment."

I frowned, feeling my stomach drop. It was hard enough that Charlie was dating her, but she was mentoring my friend, and that meant I had to hear about her doubly.

"Oh?" I asked, feigning indifference.

"Yeah, she was visiting family. I kind of got used to asking Dale my questions. Amanda always acts like it's a chore to be working with me."

"She's not nice?" I asked, frowning. I might have a personal agenda against her, but Charlie was one of the nicest people here, and it seemed odd that he'd be with someone who wasn't the same way.

"She's…forceful. She's really into her work, so she kind of resents me taking her time away from it. But I'm going to learn as much as possible even if she hates me."

"I doubt she hates you," I said, shaking my head.

"She hates me," Pam said, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. "I distract her."

"Well that's her job," I said with a shrug, grinning on the inside. At least someone shared my distaste for Amanda Hughes, with her green eyes and messy brown hair and stupid ugly—

"Well let's go," Pam said, linking arms with me. "If Richard got there first I'll be surprised if there's any food left for the rest of us."

* * *

"Bailey!"

Charlie was hard to miss on a good day with his orange hair, but when he was shouting and waving his arms, he stood out like a traffic cone.

"I'll sit with Richard," Pam sighed, knowing that Charlie's group of friends was large and there wasn't usually room at the table.

"I'll only go for one second," I promised.

"I don't believe you," she said, smiling at me and heading for the mess of dark hair and crooked smile that was her cousin.

"Hey guys," I greeted Charlie's table, which was full of familiar faces save one.

"Bailey, this is Amanda," Charlie introduced, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It occurred to me that you two have never officially met." He smiled obliviously. "Amanda, meet Bailey Jones. She's beat me at chess and Exploding Snap more times in the past week you were gone than anyone ever has."

"Well I'm glad you didn't miss me too much," Amanda said, looking at him with a wry smile, and ignoring me altogether.

"Of course I did," Charlie said with a smile. It occurred to me that he couldn't recognize the subtle jealousy in her voice. "Just keeping busy."

"I was just kidding," Amanda said with a chuckle, pushing her unruly hair from her face. It also occurred to me that she took advantage of his naivety.

He grabbed her hand and smiled at her while she moved closer to him. I almost had to excuse myself to vomit, or you know, pull her hair out, but I managed to use every ounce of control to turn to Noah beside me and ignore them.

"I don't think she likes me," I said as he noticed my deflated expression.

"She doesn't warm up to people easily," he shrugged, giving me one of his carefree grins.

"But Charlie is so...nice," I said, looking up at him.

"And she's such a bitch," Noah laughed. I shushed him, looking around worriedly. "Don't worry, no one heard me," he comforted, patting my arm.

"I've never heard you say anything bad about anyone," I breathed, allowing myself to laugh as I realized no one had been paying attention.

"Not to anyone I like," Noah said, squeezing my cheek affectionately. "But she called me a burned ogre the first time we met, and I never really forgot it."

"So why does he like her?" I asked, hoping I wasn't being as obvious as my mind feared.

"Because she's passionate. And she wears people down until they do what she wants."

"That doesn't sound healthy," I muttered, taking a sip of my drink to hide my blatant disgust.

"Well you live here now. You're learning all the inner gossip," he said with a smile.

"What are you two on about?" Noah's friend Gallo asked, leaning across the table to get in our conversation. His loud question attracted the looks of Charlie and Amanda and I inwardly groaned and wished he wasn't so boisterous.

"The new Opaleye article. My friend Pam just showed it to me," I lied easily, glad years of my brother and sister had helped with my ability to come up with stories on the spot.

"Pam Clark?" Amanda asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Yes," I said, almost scared that if I spoke to her I would explode.

"Oh...I didn't think...well never mind," she said, flickering her eyes away. I frowned, disliking her tone and the fact that she clearly was implying something bad about one of my only friends.

"No, what?" I asked coolly, ignoring everyone's shifting eyes as I fixed mine on her dark green ones.

"I just can't imagine putting up with her every day," she said, shrugging but not dropping her gaze.

"Why?" I asked, almost innocently.

"Because she never stops talking," Amanda said, ignoring Charlie who squeezed her arm.

"She's eager," I supplied.

"She's a know it all."

"She's smarter than anyone here."

"She shows off."

"She's doing her best."

"Never mind," Amanda said, giving me an icy smile. "I can see why you're friends."

I opened my mouth, ready to unleash the words that were bubbling furiously in my chest but Noah's big hand landed on my arm as Charlie cut in with his soothing voice.

"Well that's enough," he said, trying to smile. "Let's all get along."

I was still going to retort to Amanda but I felt Noah pulling on my arm and standing. I looked at him in anger, but he just put a finger to his lips and beckoned me outside, grabbing my elbow and leading me gently.

"You know she wants to kill you?" Noah asked, looking back at the table with a laugh as we neared the doors. My fingertips were pulsing as I clenched them into fists and watched his smile fade as he looked at me. "You know, sometimes here it's best to keep your arguments to yourself. Dragon tamers are a tough group of people."

"Don't worry, I can handle myself," I said, feeling my insides quiet as I reached a conclusion.

I wasn't going to lie down and take Amanda Hughes. She expected me to drop her challenge, but I was just as passionate as she was, and I didn't back away from hard work.

I thought of Charlie. Charlie who understood my humor and sat with me on my first day and took me to the dragons and kissed me so I wouldn't get in trouble. Charlie who smiled and didn't let things phase him, which was the opposite of my flaring temper. And Charlie who had the nicest, sincerest eyes and a smile that begged return.

"Uh-oh, I don't like that look," Noah said, laughing at my determined face.

"Don't worry," I said with a smile, patting his arm.

The problem was not that he had a girlfriend. It wasn't even that he didn't feel the same way about me. It was that he was never going to get the opportunity if his vision remained cloudy.

Charlie and I both loved dragons, and chess, and stuck up for our friends and beliefs, but right now there was one glaring difference.

He had entirely good intentions. And right now, I most definitely did not.


	8. Chapter 8

Like it?

* * *

PROS

1. Always kind to people  
2. Names his dragons  
3. The fact that he wouldn't make number 2 a sexual joke  
4. Cute red hair  
5. Cute smile  
6. Cute everything  
7. Makes me laugh

CONS

1. Too oblivious to notice my feelings  
2. Rumors could hurt my reputation  
3. Girlfriend  
4. Girlfriend  
5. Girlfriend  
6. Girlfriend  
7. Red hair

My lists helped me gain control of the rational side of my mind, but right now all they could do was mirror my confusion. I felt a little old to be making lists about boys, but they usually helped me feel better. Usually.

I knew there were more important things in the world. I should probably focus on world suffering, or keeping in touch with Ditto and James, and my family, but my brain seemed awfully selfish as I holed myself away from everyone. Red hair had a way of sticking to your eyelids even when you closed them.

To combat it, I got out a pen and paper.

_Dear Mom,_

_Take a breath. Let it out. Repeat. I am fine. I love it here so far._

I paused, looking at the words and suddenly realizing they'd come out without me thinking. But they were true. I did love it here. I was wrapped up in my current situation without realizing this is what I had worked for. I had spent weeks in agony waiting for my letter of acceptance here, and now I was taking it for granted.

_I can't work with dragons for a few months, which I know you're probably pleased about. Summer here is beautiful—grass as far as you can see. Reminds me of your gardens back home._

I stopped to take a breath. I closed my eyes and thought of our backyard at home, where I'd spent days lying on the grass with Ditto and teasing James about his extreme fear of bees.

_Hope that you're doing well—I'll write a longer letter when there's more excitement here. I'm going to ask about the visiting schedule like you asked. If you can come, I'll need some due notice to clean my room. _

_Love you! Hope work is good, tell Danny I said hi and he better not be stealing things from my room,_

_Your favorite daughter  
(Bailey, but I'm sure you gathered that)_

I was closing my last parentheses when there was a knock at my door.

"Come in!" I said, pushing my lists under the letter to my mother.

"Bailey!"

"Pam!" I mimicked, looking up at her. "Where's Richard?"

"Flying. Noah recruited him for Quidditch tomorrow."

"I certainly hope I'm not as rusty as I feel," I said, flexing my limbs.

"Don't hurt yourself," she chided in a motherly tone. "You're playing with a group of overgrown men who deal with forty feet dragons for a living."

"Thanks, my nerves are soothed," I said with a smile, rolling my eyes.

"So who's on your team?" she asked.

"Um so far me, Richard I suppose, Noah, Charlie and Gallo," I answered.

"Oh that's nice," she said, settling for a spot on my bed. "You seem to be...getting along well with Charlie's group."

"Yeah, they're really nice. Not like some of the macho guys here who try to push me out because I'm a woman."

"Yes, very nice. And they're cute too," Pam said, examining her fingernails, which I happened to know weren't even polished.

"Oh, well, sure..." I said, looking at her with an scrutinizing expression. Was she trying to get me to talk about Charlie? Because I was very much not in the mood.

"Can I show you something?" she asked, tugging the bottom of her green shirt down.

"Alright," I said, feeling odd about the situation, but following her regardless. She smiled and grabbed my arm, almost pulling me out the door. I knew her room was four doors down from mine, and I guessed that was where we were going since she led me to the right, instead of the stairs.

"What's in your room?" I asked.

"Your date is waiting in there."

I paused, freezing and looking at her slowly. She must know by now that there was no date happening. Unless she didn't know it was Charlie. Which meant she thought it was someone else. And some poor guy must be in there, trapped by her, waiting for a date with me.

"Who's in there Pam?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone you'd get along with," she said suspiciously, shrugging noncommittally. For a somewhat manic person, she could be oddly calm about things.

"I thought you'd give up by now."

"I don't give up on things."

I braced myself, taking a deep breath. I felt oddly self-aware, realizing that I desperately needed a new haircut, that my clothes were wrinkled, and I had bags under my eyes from reading most of the night.

I pushed the door open just an inch and tried to look in without alerting whoever was on the other side of the door. Past the neat piles of books on an equally neat desk, I saw a boy with bright blonde hair and glasses staring at his hands.

"Pam," I hissed, closing the door. "Dale is in there."

"I know. He's ready for your date."

"You must be joking."

Her silence made my stomach plummet. "Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not."

I gaped at her, at a loss for words. She was standing smugly, giving me the strangest look which I could only decipher as a mix of innocence and satisfaction.

"Dale?" I hissed again, bringing my voice down so he couldn't hear. "Dale is...Dale can barely stand me! And he scares me sometimes. And...no. Just no," I sputtered.

"I know," she said simply.

I was about to continue my rant before I realized what she said.

"What do you mean you know?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I mean I know! I know you don't like Dale..."

"So what's going on?" I asked, throwing my hands in the air.

"I wanted you to tell me who you liked! I was seeing how far you'd let me go—and nothing! You're so stubborn."

"I thought you knew it was Charlie and you would find out he had a girlfriend and stop."

"Charlie?" she asked, dropping her satisfied smirk and frowning. "I thought it was Noah."

"Oh god," I mumbled, pressing my palms into my forehead. Maybe if I pressed hard enough, I'd have brain damage and I wouldn't even remember who these people were.

"Charlie has a girlfriend," Pam stated as easily as saying dragons had a five X classification.

"I know," I said, resisting the urge to beat my head on the gray stones of the wall.

"And he's three years older than you," she continued, the wrinkle in her brow increasing as she spoke.

"I know," I repeated lowly.

"And when you start dragon care, he will be your superior. Which means—"

"I know what it means! Do you think I've neglected all these facts? That's why we're here. That's why I decided not to challenge stupid Amanda Hughes. I've accepted it, but it doesn't mean it'll go away in a day."

"So you admit this is a bad idea?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and studying me carefully.

"Yes," I said slowly. "But I don't need you to point it out. I need you to be my friend, and tell me Amanda Hughes is a bitch, and that he doesn't deserve me, and all those girly things that sound ridiculous on TV but suddenly seem comforting."

"What's TV?" she asked, her lack of muggle knowledge causing me to smile.

"Never mind," I said, almost laughing, before I remembered what was going on. "What are you going to do with Dale?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"Oh," she said, glancing at her big oak door. "I thought you'd go have dinner with him. He seems to like you."

"If by like you mean threatens to throw me down the stairs once a day," I said, "and I'm not giving him any impressions I like him. He's awkward enough around me," I said, putting my hands up in defense.

"Well, I'm not," she said matter-of-factly, pressing her lips in a line.

"You're the one who always calls Richard insensitive, and now you're going to leave the poor guy in there without an explanation or even a dinner? How'd you even get him here?"

"I told him you wanted to talk about the research paper he's writing, but it would be too noisy in the common rooms, so you could talk in here and I'd bring you up the dinner because you'd miss it."

"That's an awfully constructed lie," I pointed out.

"I'm proud of the fact that I'm not a good liar," she said, fixing me with a determined look.

"Well why don't you go in there and talk to him about his research?"

"Because in ten minutes, the cook is sending up dinner and he'll think I ambushed him for a date!" she exclaimed.

"Cancel the dinner!" I protested, thinking of Dale sitting in there, looking at his hands, wondering what was going on.

"He's expecting you!" she tried, giving me a wide-eyed look. "I can't believe I dragged him into this, I feel horrible!"

"You could have just bluffed, you didn't have to bring him here!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" she said, covering her face with her hands.

"Okay, okay," I said, putting hands on her shoulders and shaking her. "I'll go in there. You come back in ten minutes. Ten minutes! Say we should leave if we wanna catch dinner."

"Alright," Pam said, nodding frantically. I almost laughed at how panicked she had become over something she put together. "That's a good idea. I'll do that."

"You owe me," I said, nodding and bracing myself. "Wish me luck."

"Bailey, you're seven minutes late," Dale said, checking his watch as I entered the room.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"What did you want to talk about? Pamela said it was something about my research," he said, looking up at me.

"Oh, um, yes," I said, cursing myself. I hadn't read any of his research.

He looked at me for a moment. I smiled widely, hoping to distract him with my usual flippant attitude that annoyed him. I slid into the extra chair Pam must've placed at her desk.

"Well, I was more concerned with the, um, the publication process," I lied, hoping my grimace wasn't showing. "If I...had some findings to write about, does the reserve decide what to publish?"

"There is a review board. They'll publish most things in our monthly journal here, but if it gets more than half the votes, they send it to the other reserves around the country," he answered, giving me a steady look the whole time.

"Oh, okay, well that's good to know," I said, nodding. "And the uh, format? Do you put your findings, then back it up? And include the resources at the end?"

"Yes, but...why?" he asked. "You haven't even worked with a dragon. You won't be publishing anything for at least a year."

"Getting a jumpstart," I said, wishing I had something to drink or hide my face with.

"I'm not stupid Bailey," Dale said, fixing me with a steely look.

"Sorry?" I asked, biting my lip.

"I've read your file," he said, adjusting his glasses. "You had to write three research papers for your application. Despite your...cavalier attitude about your career, your papers are concise and well-crafted. You know the format."

"Um. Well, I just—"

"—Do you have feelings for me Bailey?"

"No!"

My eyes were wide as he looked at me, shocked at the suddenness of my response. He lowered his eyes, scratching his neck. For the first time in my life, I noticed a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Not because...just because, you're my mentor. And it would be unprofessional, not to mention we don't fit together. We're friends."

"You don't have to say that," he said, shaking his head and looking back into my eyes. "I know what people say about me."

"No," I said, shaking my head, watching my arrogant, self-assured mentor sink in his chair. "You're just thorough and some people don't understand that."

"They call me _Stick_, Bailey."

"What?"

"Because I have one up my butt."

I stared at him for a moment. It was sad at first, but the simple way he said it, I couldn't help it. I laughed.

He stared at me for a minute, first angry, then confused. I watched his eyebrows morph with his emotions and tried to stop my mouth but it was too late. The ridiculousness of the day was finally catching up to me.

Then to my astonishment, for the first time since we met, he smiled. And laughed himself.

"That's not very clever," I said, finally choking out words as my laughs died down.

"No," he said, shaking his head as his smile faded.

"Well we are friends," I said, clapping his shoulder. "And don't worry, I do not have feelings for you. Annoyance sometimes, a little frustration—"

"—I get it," he cut in.

"Time for dinner!"

We both looked up to see Pam in the doorway, smiling in an over-exaggerated way. I could tell she was nervous by the high tone of her voice.

"Great," I said, smiling to Dale before getting up. "Pam I have news. Dale has agreed to be my boyfriend."

"What?" she asked, looking between us with her eyes wide.

"She's joking," Dale said, shaking his head with his lips in a thin line.

"And we're back," I said, grinning widely.

* * *

"What happened?" Pam whispered as we walked down the red-lined stairs, her shoes squishing as she walked to stay a few feet ahead of Dale.

"I'll tell you later," I said, matching her pace as we reached the landing and passed the emblazoned dragon that marked the entrance.

"Here," she said, pressing a paper into my hand.

"What is it?"

"Read it later," she said, smiling at me.

We stopped at the bottom to wait for Dale, who appeared a second later, but had his eye fixed on the door.

"What's that noise?" he asked.

I paused for a moment, hearing dull banging and the muffled signs of shouting. I moved toward the huge barred door to get a better listen. Was it people from the reserve? It sounded more like chanting as I got closer. I looked back to see Pam's face and noticed that other people had gathered behind us, drawn to the rising noise.

_Captives no, let them go! Captives no, let them go!_

I reached for the latch, my hand suddenly feeling warm against the slick metal. I pulled it open and pushed back the wood.

The cries swelled inward and I took a step backward. Ten feet from the door there was a group of twenty people, equipped with bewitched signs and cans of paint. They were shouting angrily, scowls etched onto their faces.

_Free the dragons! They don't tell us how to breed! Leave nature alone!_

I scanned the signs quickly, feeling the need to go back inside, but people had crowded behind me. I felt Pam squeeze my arm and I gave her a quick look, frowning. We didn't hurt the dragons. We didn't even imprison them. Usually the ones we found were motherless and we gave them chance for a life.

"Captives no, let them go!"

The shouts grew worse as we stood there, but for some reason, no one thought to go back inside. All the faces blurred together into one angry cloud. There were two girls who stood out with robin blue hair who moved to the front. I took a step back and met a hard chest, blocking my path so I couldn't move any more as they threw the can they held between them.

I didn't have time to duck before it hit me in the chest, splattering red paint all over my body. I choked and spit it out of my mouth, wiping my eyes as I heard gasps of surprise from behind me.

Fucking great.

My mouth tasted like art class and acid, and I looked like I'd gone through a red sprinkler.

"Get inside everyone!"

I heard the yells from beside me and pushed back my dripping hair as I tried to turn around. Just as I was about to go inside, though, I noticed the group coming back from the huts.

"They were with them, inside the fence!" the girl with blue hair shouted to her friends.

_Oh no._

Noah, Charlie, and Gallo looked confused as they walked the path back to the castle. They had no real direction to turn as the mob turned to face them. Charlie looked toward the doors and saw me dripping red puddles on the floor and motioned to the boys to turn back, but it was too late.

The mob was heading right toward them.


End file.
